For the first time since 1945, Ash Wednesday and Valentine’s Day fall on the same date this year.
On Feb. 14, many Christians face a dilemma as they try to reconcile their faith with the traditional celebrations of romantic love. How exactly do you observe Valentine’s Day on the day Lent begins, marking the season of atonement leading up to Easter?

Can you be a believer and still celebrate with champagne and chocolate?

“Technically, yes,” says the Rev. Chris Valka, director of the Center for Faith and Culture at the University of St. Thomas in Houston, Texas, who also cautioned against excess. While desserts and alcohol are typically avoided on Ash Wednesday, Valka says “it’s really about the intentions behind the observance. What we’re really hoping for is a moment to recognize God is a presence in the relationship.”
(Richard mcbeefJack of all trades, master of fleb, Wed 14 Feb 2018, 11:30,
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